🛡️ Hazing Victims in Martin County, Minnesota: Your Legal Rights and How to Get Justice

Attorney 911 — Nationwide Hazing Litigation Experts Now Serving Martin County Families

📞 Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com
🌐 Website: attorney911.com

🚨 The Hazing Crisis Has Come to Martin County

Martin County families send their children to college expecting them to be safe. They trust that universities and student organizations will protect their well-being. That trust is being betrayed.

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” or “harmless tradition.” It’s abuse. It’s assault. It’s torture. And it’s happening right here in Minnesota — at colleges and universities near Martin County.

We know because we’re fighting it right now.

Our attorneys are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston. Our client was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until his muscles broke down, and hospitalized with kidney failure. This isn’t just happening in Texas — the same fraternities operate at Minnesota colleges, and the same hazing culture exists here.

If your child has been hazed in Martin County or anywhere in Minnesota, we can help.

🔍 What Is Hazing? (And Why It’s Illegal in Minnesota)

Hazing is any activity that endangers the physical or mental health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or maintaining membership in any organization.

Hazing Includes:

✅ Physical abuse — Beatings, paddling, branding, forced exercise to exhaustion
✅ Forced consumption — Alcohol, food, or non-food substances until vomiting or passing out
✅ Psychological torture — Humiliation, degradation, threats, sleep deprivation
✅ Sexual abuse — Forced nudity, sexual acts, carrying sexual objects
✅ Waterboarding/simulated drowning — Yes, this is happening in Minnesota
✅ Exposure to extreme weather — Forced to strip in cold or endure heat exhaustion
✅ Servitude — Forced cleaning, driving members, running errands

Minnesota Hazing Law (Minn. Stat. § 121A.69)

• Hazing is a misdemeanor in Minnesota
• If hazing causes substantial bodily harm, it’s a felony
• Consent is NOT a defense — even if your child “agreed” to participate, it’s still illegal
• Schools must report hazing incidents to the Minnesota Department of Education

This means: If your child was hazed at a Minnesota college near Martin County, the organization — and the individuals involved — broke the law.

💔 Real Hazing Cases in Minnesota and Nationwide

1. University of Minnesota — Sigma Nu Fraternity (2023)

• What happened: A student was hospitalized after a hazing incident involving forced alcohol consumption
• Outcome: Chapter suspended; university investigation launched
• Why it matters: Hazing isn’t just a “big school” problem — it happens at Minnesota universities too

2. University of Houston — Pi Kappa Phi (2025) — OUR CASE

• What happened: A pledge was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure
• Outcome: $10 million lawsuit filed; chapter permanently closed
• Why it matters: This is the same fraternity that operates at Minnesota colleges. If they’re doing this in Texas, they’re doing it in Minnesota.

3. Bowling Green State University — Pi Kappa Alpha (2021)

• What happened: A student died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink an entire bottle of alcohol
• Outcome: $10.1 million settlement; multiple criminal convictions
• Why it matters: Juries and courts award millions for hazing victims. The same justice is available for Martin County families.

4. Louisiana State University — Phi Delta Theta (2017)

• What happened: A student died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink during a hazing ritual
• Outcome: $6.1 million jury verdict; fraternity member convicted of negligent homicide
• Why it matters: Criminal charges can be filed alongside civil lawsuits. Minnesota prosecutors can pursue hazing as a crime.

⚖️ Who Can Be Held Liable for Hazing in Martin County?

If your child was hazed, multiple parties can be sued, including:

Martin County families: If your child was hazed at a Minnesota college, we can pursue all liable parties — no matter where they’re located.

💰 What Compensation Can Martin County Families Recover?

Hazing victims and their families may be entitled to compensation for:

1. Medical Expenses

• Emergency room visits
• Hospital stays
• Surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression
• Future medical care (dialysis, transplants if needed)

2. Lost Wages & Earning Capacity

• Time missed from work
• Lost internship opportunities
• Career impact from permanent injuries

3. Pain and Suffering

• Physical pain from injuries
• Emotional trauma from abuse
• Humiliation and degradation
• Fear of retaliation

4. Punitive Damages

• Awarded to punish the defendants for egregious conduct
• Meant to deter future hazing
• Our UH case: Waterboarding, 500 squats, wooden paddles — punitive damages are appropriate

5. Wrongful Death (If Applicable)

• Funeral expenses
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of future earnings

Precedent Settlements & Verdicts:

• $10.1 million — Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State)
• $6.1 million — Maxwell Gruver (LSU)
• $110+ million — Timothy Piazza (Penn State)
• $4+ million — Adam Oakes (VCU)

Martin County families: These same results are possible for Minnesota hazing victims.

📋 What Should Martin County Families Do Immediately?

✅ Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

• Even if injuries seem minor, get checked by a doctor
• Some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) don’t show symptoms immediately
• Medical records are critical evidence

✅ Step 2: Preserve All Evidence

• Save all communications — texts, GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs
• Take photos/videos — injuries, hazing locations, items used in hazing
• Write down everything — dates, times, what happened, who was involved
• Get witness names — other pledges, bystanders, anyone who saw what happened

✅ Step 3: Do NOT Talk to the Organization

• Do not confront fraternity/sorority leadership
• Do not give statements to university administrators
• Do not sign anything from the organization
• Do not post on social media about the incident

Why? Anything you say can be used against you. Let your attorney handle all communications.

✅ Step 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately

• Minnesota has a 2-year statute of limitations — don’t wait
• Evidence disappears quickly
• Witnesses forget details
• Organizations destroy records

📞 Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation

🛡️ Why Martin County Families Choose Attorney 911

1. We’re Fighting This Battle Right Now

• We’re currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston
• We know how to build these cases
• We know how to win

2. Nationwide Reach — We Serve Martin County

• Based in Texas, but we represent hazing victims nationwide
• Federal court authority — can pursue cases anywhere in the U.S.
• Dual-state bar licenses — Texas and New York
• Video consultations available — no need to travel

3. Former Insurance Defense Attorneys

• Both Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena worked for insurance companies before switching sides
• We know exactly how they think
• We know how to dismantle their defenses
• We know how to maximize your compensation

4. Aggressive, Compassionate Representation

• We treat every client like family
• We fight for maximum compensation
• We don’t back down from powerful institutions

5. No Upfront Costs — We Work on Contingency

• You pay $0 unless we win
• No hourly fees
• No retainers
• We only get paid if you get paid

🎯 How We’ll Fight for Martin County Families

1. Immediate Evidence Preservation

• Send preservation letters to all defendants
• Demand all communications, photos, videos be saved
• Prevent evidence destruction

2. Thorough Investigation

• Interview witnesses
• Obtain medical records
• Review university policies
• Identify all liable parties

3. Expert Witnesses

• Medical experts to explain injuries
• Hazing culture experts
• Economic experts to calculate damages

4. Aggressive Negotiation

• Demand policy limits from insurance companies
• Push for maximum settlement
• Prepare for trial if necessary

5. Trial-Ready Preparation

• We’re not afraid to go to court
• We’ve won millions in jury verdicts
• We’ll fight for every dollar you deserve

📢 A Message to Minnesota Fraternities and Universities

To the fraternities operating near Martin County:
We are watching. We are coming. The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter.

Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi —
If your chapter operates near Martin County, know that Attorney 911 represents hazing victims across America. We’ve already shut down one Pi Kappa Phi chapter. Yours could be next.

To Minnesota universities:
The same institutional negligence that made the University of Houston a defendant exists at your campus. Act now or face the same accountability.

📞 Martin County Families: Contact Us Today

If your child has been hazed in Martin County or anywhere in Minnesota, you have legal rights. We can help.

📞 Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com
🌐 Website: attorney911.com

We work on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win.

Don’t wait. The clock is ticking. Call now.

🔗 Related Resources for Martin County Families

• Minnesota Hazing Law (Minn. Stat. § 121A.69)
• University of Minnesota Hazing Policy
• Stop Hazing — National Organization

Attorney 911 — Legal Emergency Lawyers™
Protecting Hazing Victims in Martin County and Nationwide

📍 Serving Martin County from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont
📞 1-888-ATTY-911 | ralph@atty911.com | attorney911.com